"SCIENTIFIC" BUT HORRIBLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 73, 10 November 1906, Page 8

"SCIENTIFIC" BUT HORRIBLE.

BULI-FIGSiTING AT TIA JUANA A BLOODY ■ GAME.

Yet Americans Seem Best Patrons of " Sport."

Brutal Torture Before the Stroke of Death.

(From Los Angeles "Daily Times.")

An enthusiastic, good natured crowd was that at Tia Juana, Sunday, to see Felix Robert and his cuadrilla put the finishing touches on four bulls. .The bullfighters' audience was composed for the most part of Americans. They were out to see the thing done up m style, and they were not disappointed. They wanted to see bovine gore spilled by the bucketful, and it was. They were looking for Felix to get a rap m the ribs, and he did. In fact, there was a great fight before the day was over. Many said "never again for mine." It is "scientific," but horrible.

Yet the Americans seemed to 1 enjoy the fight. There was a chance to do some rooting. Most of them rooted for the bull. If the habitue of the bull ring thought he had a corner on the noise business he was undeceived. The bleachers at a championship baseball game is like a deaf and dumb asylum compared to the din that was raised by a thousand Americans m sight of Old G-lory, floating just across Ih3 border. Some of them thought the bulls should have a few friends to shy barbed rosettes into the shoulders of the bullfighters, to make the thing a little more cx"citing, and to prevent having the brutal torture all one-sided.

When the first bull showed that he was loth to .speed to green pastures and escape his tormentors, somebody yelled "Viva Herrera." Mauro, who was there, raised his hat, thinking it was an ovation.

The fighting from the .purely, scientific, or, more correctly, arti&tic standpoint of the Spanish, was superb. A Spaniard who ought to know, said so, and nobody disputed his word. Felix Robert demonstrated that he knows where to find the solar plexus of a bull with his espada (sword), and also that Abe Attell armed with horns would not get a call if m ths circle with /the shifty matador.

The first bull dispatched Sunday was a magnificent animal with' massive neck and shoulders, and a disposition to wade a little m gore himself. Felix did good work with this fellow, cutting his career short because of the sullenness displayed. There's no sparring for wind or loaf^in,^ "m this game. This is ring ethics —either get busy and gore somebody, or get what's coming to you. He got his right between the shoulder blades, and asked no questions as to- who threw the brick that kissed Billy Patterson.

But it is the ethics, trimmings, r ancy stunts, etc., that get the first innings.

AT THE OPENING. The band plays something purely Spanish as the Governor of the State, accompanied by the referee, takes his seat m ttie box commanding a. good view. The referee does not go into the ring to prevent biting and kicking m the clinches. It's him to the safe perch m nigger heaven beside the Governor.

Calca Vega, Governor of Lower California, was the distinguished guest, Sunday, and nobody heard him question the decision or accuse the time-keepera of pulling the hell too soon when the matadors, handerilleros or mono sabios were \up against a hard fight and ducked for the "highspy" boards.

When all is ready, two alguacils (mounted horsemen) decked as U; on circus parade, come galloping m and salute the Governor, asking permission to begin the fracas. II the, Governor's enchiladas and frijol.es lie easily m his system,, he settles hack m his chair, and sneezes out something like "bring on the first preliminary." The gates to the ring are opened and the cuardrilla (company)-' comes marching m, while the band plays something about "Everybody Eats Beef To-morrow." After saluting the Governor, the cuardrilla goes to its corners and waits for the band to play "Mother, Pin a Rose on Me," when the door to the chute is opened by the mono sabios (servant of the matador), who asks the toro to enter and fight. As el toro passes" the ( door. he gets a rose pinned on his shoulder m the shape of a barb decorated with multicolored * ribbons. Being of an inartistic temperament, toro • resents this familiarity of his self-appointed haberdasher, and starts out to look for somebody to argue with. He finds, him all right, for just, m" front of him stands an apparition m gold braid with his hair skewed up into an old maid's Psyche knot. He starts a right haymaker for this- apparition, the blow falling short, sending him into the ropes,' while some Mexican yells, "Viva banderillero," "raus mit el toro," or something to that effect.

Toro then gets an invitation to come over on the shady side of the ring and try a wallop at another tinseled tamale-maker. El Toro tries a straight left, a right uppercut and Bat Nelson's butting stunt, but 'red cloth is all he can hit. He goes to his coiner for instructions, but finds those who got him into the fracas have "Mowed." As it is to be a battle royal, with the whole gang against him, he recites the prayer of a certain individual, who, when confronted by a bear, said : "Lord, if you are not with me, don't help the bear, and I'll show you one of the best scraps you ever saw." But this is only conceit, for jnpbody around the ring would lay a cinco centavos to a million pesos that he will even get inside the money or secure a draw.

About that time he espies one of the gang with a few small barber Doles m his hand. It's to be clubs, then, he soliloquizes— me to the shilallah artist. But it is. the banderillero he is facing this time, and when he comes out of the clinch he finds

tfiere is something hanging to him that's as hard to shake as a drunken friend.

' EL TORO WADES IN. This gets his fighting blood up, and he wades into the bunch hammer and tongs. He gets, m all, three sets of these Roman .candle decorations, and finally begins to feel as if he had been presented with W. J. Bryan's crown of thorns ; everybody is long on decorations, and they are all coming his way at once. But he is to see some fancy stunts the next time: he decides to mix it, for standing about fifteen feet away is a fellow with a vaulting pole. El Toro charges and sees his antagonist go through the air over his head, but without the satisfaction of having assisted m the act with his horns. This is the best performance of the whole show, unless it be. the aim of the matador m sending his espada to the toro's vitals.

By this tittne ol toro is pretty thor-i oughly convinced that the battle is a "frame-up," and he is to be the ?t £all guy." He sees the prettiest doll baby of the bunch, with a fancy cape, over near the Governor's stand, and beckoning to him. He is a little man, and it looks like a cinch. He'll go over and take a punch at him for the sake of the game. This is the signal for two men with a pair of .horses, waiting 1 m the ante-room, to prepare for a, post-mortem examination and an inkiest, but el toro has not been "wised up" on this phase of the situation.

The matador turns to the Governor and swears to kill the bull or lose, his hind leg m the attempt, after which he faces the animal and beckons him forward with his cap.

BEHIND A RED CAPE. El toro walks over with lowered head and makes a feint to draw his antagonist out, but he finds him kneeling behind a red cape when the dust clears away. "Get up and take a licking," bellows the bull, "wot v' doin', •qiuittin' ?". Another hinge and a keen blade passes like lightning between his shoulder blade, andestooado is delivered. The puntillero steps forward and punctures el toro at the 'base of the brain, with a short knife, and the band plays "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie," as the arasto del toro removes the next contingent of stewed beef Spanish out of slight of the audience.

x This performance is repeated until four bulls are despatched, when the crowd goes home to speculate on whether or no the beef trust can compete m Lower California.

The bulls used Sunday had been m a wreck a few days previous while en route from Chihuahua, Mexico, and the long journey and rough handling; had to a degree taken the ginger out of them. Yet there was plenty of fight m all but the first. Robert dispatched it quickly, but not until two strokes of the sword had been delivered.

The second bull was the yellow journal advertising page of the corrida (bull fight). When the matador came forward to swear to the Governor to put the bull out m a punch, he remembered that one Hearst emancipated Mexico from Spanish rule, and after naming the bull Willie Randolph,' attempted to dispatch him. Whether thia torp refused to die under such conditions, or the idea of being mixed with the saffron publications | drove him to frenzy is problematical but be caught Felix Robert a bump m the ribs that disabled his sword arm for several minutes, necessitat-in-cc another attempt m the execution., At the next fight each bull will have painted on his side, "Branch office of the longest least wire m the world."

The third bull was killed by Matador /Francisco Alonso Paquiro, who was severely injured last year at Juarez. Before dispatching the beast El Cuco gave a fine exhibition of vaulting; the bull with a pole. Francisco's aim was bad, the espada remaining imbedded m the bull's shoulder. The second stroke went home, but the bull did not drop instantly, and the puntillero finished the job.

The last bull was killed by.Lobato," and the t job was a horrible bungle, sickening from beginning to end, callin" forth roars from the "initiated," and hisses from the noviate. It required seven strokes to put el toro hors dv combat.